


Miracle

by HyphyManatee



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Daryl Dixon x Reader, F/M, daryl dixon - Freeform, the walking dead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-11 20:45:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16860007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyphyManatee/pseuds/HyphyManatee
Summary: The reader is Carl’s older sister but dating Daryl and she finds out Carl’s bit and it’s all sad and Daryl is doing his best to be there for the reader but she’s angry and upset and there’s angst and maybe ends in some fluff from Daryl.





	Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Language, slight violence, fluff, character death, angst, cigarettes, minor smut at the end, spoilers, canon divergence
> 
> Word Count: 4,082

You sat on the ground beside Daryl, squeezing your baby sister tightly as he ran his fingers through your hair. “Where is bruh-der?” The innocent child asked, looking up at you with big eyes. 

You sniffled and tried to put on a strong face. “He’ll be here soon, Judy. He just had to take care of a few things.” You tried to hide the worry that creeped out of your expression. You thought Carl would be down here with the rest of you by now. 

You continued to sit silently as you tried to relax under Daryl’s touch. He rested his head on top of yours and placed light kisses in your hair, taking in your scent. 

Your head snapped to the side as Carl climbed down the ladder, joining you in the sewers. “Cawr!” Judith yelled excitedly as she jumped out of your arms and ran to him. He was covered in sweat and dirt and was still coughing from the flames that were devouring your home above.

Carl picked Judith up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He reached into his pocket and pulled out her favorite Barbie doll. Her face lit up with joy as she took it from his hands and came running back towards you and Daryl, hoping Daryl wanted to play with her. 

You watched as Carl ignored everyone and walked to the end of the dark tunnel, taking a seat against the far wall. “I’ll be right back.” You said softly to Daryl as you stood up and walked over to your little brother. “What’s up kid?” You asked as you kicked his foot. Your thumbs hung from the corners of your jean pockets as you twisted your body from side to side and stared down at the exhausted boy. 

He looked up at you with sorrowful eyes as he breathed heavily. You could tell something was off. “What’s wrong?” You asked concerned. 

Carl took in a deep breath before looking down and reaching for the hem of his shirt. He lifted it up slowly, a large, white bandage covered the right side of his stomach. He peeled back the bandage, revealing a bloody bite mark.

You gasped and covered your mouth with your hands as you fell to your knees beside him. “No!” You cried out. Tears began falling from your eyes. Rick and Michonne snuck up behind you, instantly noticing what you were sobbing at. 

Carl covered the bite back up and sat silently as Rick grabbed his hand. You toppled over into his lap and wrapped your arms around him, crying into his light blue shirt. Carl held you tightly as he tried to hold back his own tears. Normally, you were strong. But when it came to losing your baby brother, your heart tore in half. 

You laid together as a family, refusing to let go of Carl as you sobbed through the night. Daryl had seen the bite from a distance and knew he needed to keep Judith busy so she wouldn’t notice the rest of her family crying in the corner. He wanted so badly to hold you, to help you through this, but he knew his time would come to do that after Carl moved on. 

You spent a day and a half down in the sewers, clinging to your little brother for dear life as his symptoms grew worse. You and Rick had let Judith say goodbye while Carl still looked normal. You didn’t want her seeing him the way he was now. You wanted her last memories of him to be special. Normal. He played dolls with her for a while before she curled up and fell asleep in his arms. You asked Tara and Rosita to watch over her for a while so the rest of you could say your final goodbyes. 

You all climbed out of the sewers to see the home you worked so hard to build completely burnt to the ground. A few houses stood halfway unharmed. The one you shared with Daryl and your family being one of them. The side of the house that Carl’s room was on remained relatively untouched by the flames.

You and Rick helped Carl into his bed and allowed him to relax. He was barely conscious as you, Michonne, Daryl, and your father sat around him. The tears still had not stopped flowing from your eyes as you held his hand to your lips and prayed. “I love you, baby brother…” You whispered to him. “I love you so so much.” You told him over and over softly. 

“I love you too…” He said as he trailed off into a deep sleep. The deepest sleep one could achieve. 

“NOO!” Rick cried out as he realized his only son had slipped away. He got up and quickly slammed his fist into the drywall, leaving a large hole.

“Rick!” Michonne yelled through her tears but she knew it wasn’t going to calm him down.

“Come on, brother. Let’s go…” Daryl said, holding Rick tightly as he completely broke down in the archers arms. Daryl dragged Rick out of the room and took him outside, hopefully giving him some room to breathe.

“Y/N…” Michonne began as she looked up at you.

“Go…” You whispered. You had to be strong again. No one else was going to do it but you. “Just go…”

Michonne leaned down and kissed Carl on the forehead. She sat back as tears soaked her face, leaning in to kiss you on top of your head as she stood up to join Rick, closing the door behind her. 

“Y/N’s doing it…” Michonne stated as she noticed the questioning look on Rick and Daryl’s face. 

Both of the men stepped forward in protest but Michonne put a hand against both of their chest’s, stopping them instantly. She shook her head. “She’s the one that has to do it…” She stated sadly. 

Rick and Michonne sat on the steps of the front porch, holding each other tightly as Daryl paced back and forth, chewing on his thumb.

You sat still and smiled down at your partner in crime. You were seven years older than Carl but he had always been your number one best friend. You could always count on him in this life and the last. He was the one that was supposed to live. He was supposed to be a leader. 

You’d spent the last 24 hours telling him stories from when you were kids, hoping he’d have something positive to take with him into the next life. 

You knew he could turn at any time and you needed to do it soon. “I’ll see ya around kid.” You chuckled before leaning down and placing a kiss on his forehead. You sniffled and dried your eyes before reaching for your gun. You placed it gently to the side of his temple and continued to gaze at him. 

You leaned over his body to grab the pillow that rested beside him, placing it on top of his face. “I love you.” You whispered before pulling the trigger back, instantly sending a bullet through his brain. Blood shot out the other side and covered the floor and walls. Your stomach turned at the sight and you could instantly feel the hole in your chest grow bigger.

Rick and Michonne began crying harder after hearing the gunshot. Daryl ran inside the house and into the room as you sat on your knees next to your brothers body, trying to steady your breathing.

“Y/N…” Daryl said softly as he fell beside you, pulling you into his arms. You sobbed loudly as you clung to Daryl, just as you had done to Carl while he was still alive. “Come on baby girl…let’s get ya cleaned up.” Daryl whispered as he scooped you up into his arms and carried you out of the house. 

Rick and Michonne had already walked off, wanting to make a special grave for their son. Daryl carried you over to the pond in the middle of Alexandria. He laid you down gently in the grass and pulled his bandana from his back pocket. He dipped it into the cool water and brought it up to your face, wiping away the dirt and blood that painted your skin.

Daryl took over as leader of the group and decided that the community needed to make their way to Hilltop. Everyone loaded up the few belongings they had left and began the drive. Rick and Michonne took their own car, wanting to sit in silence as they mourned, playing the CD Carl had loved so much. You and Daryl offered to take Judith. You wanted to hold her tightly in your arms in fear that you’d lose her too. 

“Where is Cawr?” Judith’s sweet voice asked as she played with the ends of your hair. Daryl glanced over at the two of you as he lead the line of cars towards Hilltop. 

You sniffled and looked down at the little girl in your lap. “Carl had to go away.” You said as your voice cracked. 

“To where?” She asked.

You took in a deep breath as you chose your words carefully, knowing you’d have to tell her sooner or later. “Carl went to Heaven.” You said with a small smile and watery eyes. 

“Where is Heaven?”

Your heart melted at the child’s innocence. “Heaven is up there.” You pointed to the sky. “It’s above the clouds. It’s where the best people go when they die…” 

“What’s die?”

“Die is when someone leaves this life, the one we live in.”

“So we can’t see bruh-der any mo’?”

“We can’t see him, or hear him. But he’s still here. It’s like he’s invisible. But he’ll always be here to protect us…” You told her as you hugged her in close to you. You weren’t sure if she fully understood what was going on but you could feel a tiny tear escape from her eyes, though she did not make a sound as she relaxed against you and drifted off in to dream land.

As you entered the gates to Hilltop, you were greeted by Maggie, Jesus, and Enid. You climbed out of the car with Judith and handed her off to Jesus, who she was happy to see. 

You ran to Maggie and hugged her tightly, giving Enid a squeeze directly after. 

“Where’s Carl?” Enid’s excited face scanned the group of Alexandrian’s as they all got out of their cars and were shown to their rooms. 

“Cawr’s in Heaven!” Judith shouted from Jesus’s arms. Maggie’s face dropped and the expression that grew on Enid’s face broke your heart. 

“I’m sorry…” You whispered as you hugged Enid closely again. You were the only one Carl talked to about this girl, you knew how much they meant to each other. 

Maggie chose to stay with Enid and try to calm her down, knowing all too well what it felt like to lose the man you loved so dearly. Jesus carried Judith, tickling her lightly as he showed you and Daryl to your room. 

“Hope this is okay for you two.” Jesus said as he opened the door to one of the master suites. 

“Jesus…We don’t need all this space. One of the bigger families should take it.” You said.

“Shut up, it’s my treat.” He told you with a warm smile. “All the other families are just fine with plenty of room. We had this one left over, thought the two of you would like it.” 

The room sat at the very end of the main floor. It was further off from the other rooms and close to the back door in case you needed to make it outside quickly. 

“Thanks man.” Daryl said in a raspy voice as he carried your bag and his into the room. 

“Thank you.” You looked up at your friend with sad eyes. 

“I’m gonna take the little one to play with the other kids. Let me know if you need anything. Anything. Okay?” 

You nodded your head in agreement, trying to force a small smile. Jesus reached over and left a kiss on your cheek before walking off with your baby sister towards the court yard where all the other children were playing games.

You sighed as you entered the room. Plopping down on the far side of the bed, you stared out the window that lead to a view of what was behind this community. You could see trees for miles. The day was gloomy and fog covered the city in the distance. You wanted to cry but you were out of tears. Your skin was puffy and red as your eyes fixated on a few kids running about outside. 

“Hey…” Daryl’s voice whispered against your skin. He brought his lips to your shoulder and gently massaged your back. “Ya wanna take a shower?” His voice was soft.

You nodded your head. “Yes. Please.” You said as you stood from your spot and walked towards the bathroom. The bathroom was gorgeous. Fit for a queen. White tile and gold trim wrapped around the room. The shower was large, with a bench inside, stocked with some nice soaps and shampoo.

Daryl turned the shower on and let the water run hot while you slipped out of the clothes that had been stuck to your body for three days. He began to make his way towards the door when you stopped him. “Don’t go.” You said quietly. You had lost your voice from crying. 

Daryl turned towards you with a sympathetic look. He closed the door and slowly walked over to you, pushing you towards the shower as he worked on getting out of his clothes, joining you not long after. 

You let the hot water pour over your skin, taking all the grime with it. You looked up to Daryl through your wet hair. He wrapped you up in his arms as the water rained down on the two of you. You curled up against his chest and he buried his face in your hair. “I’m so sorry baby girl…” He whispered to you. “I know it’s hard…losin’ yer brother.” You stayed silent as you listened to the archer talk to you. “I promise I’ll always be here for ya.” 

You had no words, nor did you want to speak. You stood silently as Daryl worked on scrubbing the dirt from your skin, leaving soft kisses all over your soapy body. 

After you were clean, he wrapped you up in a big, fluffy towel and carried you to bed. The sky was beginning to fall dark and you were exhausted. You had no desire to get dressed as you sunk into the pillows of the bed. Daryl worked on rubbing lotion all over your body as you relaxed under his touch, drifting off into a deep sleep.

You awoke to the smell of eggs and toast. Rolling over, you saw Daryl walking through the door with a tray of food. “Ya hungry?” He asked hopefully. “Forgot how much they work on food prep here.” He giggled. 

“Thanks baby…” You said as you took the plate of food in your hands. You were starving, but something about you just wasn’t in the mood to eat. 

You finally finished you breakfast, after forcing it down. You walked over to your bag and pulled out a fresh pair of shorts and a tank top. You strapped your gun and knife to your waist and looked in the mirror as you tied your hair back into a high pony tail.

“Wanna walk around with me?” You asked Daryl as he finished eating his breakfast. You needed some fresh air. After sleeping and eating, you needed some sort of other distraction. 

“Course.” Daryl smiled at you as he offered you his hand. You linked your fingers with his and walked out of your bedroom. 

The sun was out today, beating down on the small community. All the kids were running around, mothers were chatting away by the garden, men were gearing up for a run, you found yourself thankful that you had been given the day off to spend with Daryl. 

You began making a circle around the community, swinging Daryl’s arm as you took in the smell of fresh air. A small smile spread across your face as you forgot about all the bad things in life. Just for a moment.

Your happiness was quickly snatched from you when you heard chatter in the distance. You looked up to see Rick and Michonne talking to Siddiq. The man that Carl was saving when he got bit. 

Anger took over your body as you stared at the reason for your brother’s death. You marched over to him, pushing him back with all your strength. He fell to the ground instantly as Daryl ran up to hold you back but you quickly fell to the ground, tackling the man and hitting him square in the jaw. 

“This is your fault!” You screamed as you brought your fist down once again.

“Y/N!” Daryl and Rick screamed simultaneously. Daryl’s muscular arms wrapped around your core as he yanked you off the man. Rick and Michonne helped Siddiq to his feet. You continued to try to get out of Daryl’s grasp and lunge at the man. 

“I’m sorry! He was helping me!” Siddiq began to cry, seeing how hurt you were from the loss of your brother. “I didn’t mean for this to happen!” He pleaded.

“Y/N, calm down.” Your father commanded you.

“Carl’s fucking dead! You want me to calm down?! My little brother is gone!” You cried out. You finally were able to pull away from Daryl’s grasp and you backed up from the group. 

“Baby..” Daryl said as he reached for you.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” You screamed. Smacking his hand away. Just after, you noticed Maggie and Enid walking Judith over to you all. Your eyes landed on your little sister as she stared uncomfortably at your mental breakdown. 

Your eyes glanced over all the faces that looked at you before you ran off in the opposite direction, wanting to find a place to be alone. 

You ran towards the furthest corner of Hilltops gates and sat on the secluded bench that was rarely used. You reached for your cigarettes and lit one up as you brought your knees to your chest and hugged them tightly. You remember the note Carl had given you. The one you folded up and placed in your pack of cigarettes. You pulled it out and unfolded the small piece of paper.

Just Survive Somehow.

You smiled down at the words, knowing you had to stay strong for your brother. 

“Y/N…” A soft voice said to you. You looked up to see Enid and Maggie walking towards you. 

You smiled up at them. “Hey…” You began. They took their seats on either side of you. “Sorry for acting like a crazy bitch.” You chuckled.

“Don’t be sorry,” Enid began, “you have every right to act the way you acted. You lost your brother.” She said as she ran her hand across your back.

You took in a deep breath as you tried to hold back the tears. “Ya know…he loved you, Enid…” You told her. She looked up at you with wide eyes. “He didn’t talk much about it, but I forced it outta him. You made him so happy. Thank you for showing him love in this fucked up world.” You told her as you pulled her in close. “Here…I want you to have this. Keep it safe.” You told her as you threw your cigarette to the ground and reached behind your neck to unclip the locket that hung from your neck. You motioned for Enid to turn around and you wrapped the small, gold chain around her neck, clipping it in place. 

Enid brought her hand up to the locket and popped it open. Inside was a picture of your mom, Lori, and now Carl. 

“Are you sure?” Enid asked skeptically. 

You nodded your head as you leaned on Maggie’s shoulder. “Yeah. I want you to carry him with you always. Okay?” You smiled at her. Her eyes began to water as she hugged you tightly.

The three of you sat there and enjoyed the nice day for hours, sharing stories of your little brother and laughing. 

The sun was finally beginning to set and Daryl appeared from around the corner of the building. “Am I interruptin’?” He asked as he studied the three of you laying in the grass, staring up at the pink sky. 

You sat up and smiled to him. “Nah. Startin’ to get hungry anyways.” You chuckled as Enid and Maggie made their way to their feet. “I’ll see you guys later.” You waved to the girls as they walked off towards the dining hall.

“Ya okay?” Daryl asked as he stared down at your glossy eyes. 

You nodded your head. “Yeah…” you smiled up at him. “I’m sorry for being crazy…Just never thought I was gonna lose my little brother.”

Daryl smiled down at you. “Don’t be sorry. I get it.” He held your hand as he slowly walked you back towards the main building.

You stopped for a moment. “Daryl…I have to tell you something.” You said nervously. You weren’t sure how Daryl would react to your news. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, looking down at you as you chewed on your bottom lip. 

“I…I’m…I’m pregnant…” You said softly. You looked down shamefully, thinking of the cigarette you had smoked earlier, hoping the one slip up didn’t harm the little one. 

You looked back up at Daryl who stared at you in shock. “I’m sorry…” You whispered, scared he was unhappy with the news. 

He tried to speak but no words came out, only tears as he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you into him. He nuzzled his head against your stomach and kissed your belly over and over again. You giggled as you petted his hair softly. 

“Thank you…” He whispered against your skin as you watched Rick and Michonne approach you. 

“What’s going on?” Michonne asked, worried that something bad had happened.

You looked up to her and your father with a smile. “I’m pregnant…” You choked out as tears of happiness began to spill from your eyes. Daryl still gripped you tightly, kissing your belly as he coated your skin with sticky tears. 

“No way…” Rick said as a smile began to form on his lips. The first smile you’d seen from your father in days. “Are you serious?”

Daryl stood to his feet now as he moved out of the way, letting Rick and Michonne hug you tightly. 

After everyone was done squealing over the blessing bestowed upon you, you wiped your eyes and decided to speak up. “I want to name it Carl…or Carly…” You said softly. “Carl is the only one I told before…I’m just happy he got to know.” You said sadly. 

“It’s perfect.” Michonne told you with a smiled. Rick and Daryl clung to each other as they tried to catch their breath. You remembered how irritated your father was when you first started dating Daryl. Now they were best friends. And Daryl was able to bless him with a grandson.

Though you all still needed time to mourn Carl’s death, this baby was a blessing and you could feel your little brother smiling down at you as you placed your hands on your stomach. 

Daryl carried you back to your room and laid you down gently on the bed. He kissed you from your lips down to your neck and collar bone as he worked to undress you. “Thank you so much…”

“For what?” You giggled as he ghosted your stomach with his lips. 

“Being mine…letting me have the chance to be a dad…” He trailed off, a hint of fear on his face. 

“There is nobody I’d rather raise a family with than you, Daryl Dixon.” You smiled down at your archer. 

He flashed a devious smile back your way before ripping your shorts off your body and quickly bringing his tongue down onto you clit. You moaned out in pleasure as he ran the tip of his tongue through each one of your folds. 

“I love you…” He whispered into you. The vibrations sending chills throughout your body.


End file.
